The Cruise (1998 film)

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The Cruise (1998 film)

The Cruise is a 1998 American documentary directed by Bennett Miller. It follows Timothy "Speed" Levitch, a New York City bus tour guide known for his fast, poetic monologue about the city. The film captures Levitch’s worldview and personality as he shares his unique take on how the city looks and feels.

Production
Miller shot the movie over about three and a half years as a one-man crew, using a handheld video camera and wireless microphone on Levitch. He threw out the first 80 hours of footage and started over. Levitch did not sit in on much of the editing; Miller and editor Michael Levine spent eight months shaping the final film.

Release
The Cruise initially faced rejections from several film festivals. It premiered at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1998 and later screened at New York’s Docfest. The film opened in New York City on October 14, 1998, at the Angelika Film Center. Artisan Entertainment then released it nationwide on November 6, 1998. The movie was issued on DVD in 2006. In October 2025, it screened in the History of Cinema section at the Rome Film Festival.

Reception
Critics noted the film’s bold visuals and Levitch’s intense, kinetic narration. Stephen Holden of The New York Times described it as a “whirlwind tour” of New York and Levitch’s mind, filmed in a stark black-and-white style. In its 2006 DVD release, Brett Cullum called it a single extended character study, a dadaist piece that plays like poetic jazz and focuses more on Levitch than on conventional storytelling.

Awards
The Cruise earned several nominations and wins. It was nominated for Best Documentary by the Online Film Critics Society and by the Satellite Awards. Editor Michael Levine received a nomination for Best Edited Documentary (the Eddie) from the American Cinema Editors. The film won the Wolfgang Statuette Award and the Don Quixote Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, along with the Best Documentary Audience Award and Newport International Film Festival’s Special Jury Award.